How much do Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

Percentile spread

For Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, the published 10th percentile is $46,510 and the 90th percentile is $78,180. The difference is $31,670, which is 50.5% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $49,950 to the 75th at $71,090, covers $21,140.

The mean annual wage is $62,000, which sits below the median of $62,670. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC median is 16.6% higher than the national median of $53,750 for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $63,988, which is 19% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 5.9% higher than the Virginia median of $59,180.

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC covers more than one state. The state comparison uses Virginia, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC is 97.941, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $62,670 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers at $63,988 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

21 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC ranks 2nd of 22 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Richmond, VA is 70 miles away, with a median of $57,710 and employment of 1,260. That median is 7.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $58,973, against $63,988 here.
• Rocky Mount, NC is 100 miles away, with a median of $49,600 and employment of 250. That median is 20.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $56,356, against $63,988 here.
• Salisbury, MD is 100 miles away, with a median of $58,480 and employment of 60. That median is 6.7% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $61,161, against $63,988 here.

Employment share

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers accounts for 0.49% of wage-and-salary employment in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (3,740 of 763,060). Nationally the occupation is 0.27% of employment (416,210 of 155,495,730). The local share is 1.83 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.